Crater cruises into 5A state playoffs

Saturday

May 20, 2017 at 2:00 AM

CENTRAL POINT — Crater pitchers Holley Warner and Megan Wagner and a steady Comet defense held South Albany at bay throughout the Class 5A softball state play-in game for a 10-0, five-inning victory Friday at Crater High.

Warner and Wagner combined to pitch a no-hitter in the win for the Comets (13-11), who advanced to the 5A state playoffs and will open against a team still to be determined on Wednesday.

Warner struck out three and walked two batters through four innings and Wagner came on in the fifth inning, retiring three straight batters to help preserve the shutout against South Albany (9-18).

Presley Robison lead Crater by going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, while Hannah Joseph went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

EAGLE POINT 13, SOUTH UMPQUA 0, 6 inn.: At Myrtle Creek, Eagle Point’s Megan Ayres recorded another outstanding performance, pitching a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts, and added a grand slam in the sixth inning of the nonconference win.

Ayres went 2-for-3 with five RBIs against South Umpqua (21-3).

Eagle Point improved to 19-6 overall and will next play in the Class 5A state playoff opener on Wednesday.

LEBANON 14, EAGLE POINT 7: At Eagle Point, six errors proved costly for Eagle Point in the Class 5A play-in contest that featured two of the top-16 teams in the state rankings.

Lebanon (15-12) scored four first-inning runs and, after the host Eagles (13-13) rallied to close the gap with a seven-run fourth inning, the Warriors tacked on five insurance runs in the seventh inning to advance to the state playoffs.

Jacoby Jackson highlighted Eagle Point’s fourth inning with a three-run triple and finished 2-for-4. Bennett Rodgers added a two-run single in the frame to help the Eagles pull within 9-7 of Lebanon.

Coldin Shopp was 2-for-4 with one run and one RBi and Trae Perkins 2-for-4 with one run for EP.

DALLAS 5, ASHLAND 4: At Dallas, Nick Sanderson blasted a two-run home run to tie the game in the third inning for Ashland but Dallas scored three runs in the sixth inning to rally for the Class 5A play-in game victory.

The Grizzlies (13-11) lead 4-2 entering the bottom of the of the sixth inning before allowing the comeback by Dallas (16-11), which took advantage of three errors to score its three runs.

Ashland had runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh but could not extend the contest.

Shea Scott and Matt O’Donnell had two hits apiece for Ashland, while Zach Wallace was 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Dragons.